At 56 years old, Buffy Colvin said when she was growing up, she didn’t see female mayors or council members. But now, female mayors and council members are not so uncommon.
“Being a woman and being at this juncture in my life means so much to me,” she said. “Because I promise you, I'm going to be that person who's going to bridge the gap for another little girl, and another little girl and another little girl, because I want all those little girls to see that if Miss Buffy can do it, I can do it.”
kAm k^Am
k9c 5:ClQ=ECQmr@F?4:= >6>36C k^9cm
kAm~C:8:?2==J r@=G:? H2D?VE A=2??:?8 @? CF??:?8 7@C 4:EJ 4@F?4:=] $96 D2:5 D@>6 @7 96C 72>:=J >6>36CD 2?5 7C:6?5D DF886DE65 :E E@ 96C 2?5 r@=G:? E@=5 E96> ?@[ 3FE D96 H:== 7:?5 D@>63@5J] $@[ D96 H6?E E@ 2 4@FA=6 5:776C6?E A6@A=6 2D<:?8 E96> E@ 4@?D:56C CF??:?8 7@C s:DEC:4E %H@]k^Am
kAm“xV> ?@E 2 A@=:E:4:2?[” r@=G:? D2:5] “%92E’D ?@E >J =:76] pE E92E E:>6[ x H2D DE:== 6>A=@J65 2E #FDD6== |65:42= r6?E6C 2?5 5@:?8 2 3F?49 @7 E9:?8D :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ 3FE x 5:5?VE D66 >JD6=7 2D 2 4:EJ 4@F?4:= >6>36C]”k^Am
kAm(:E9 76H A6@A=6 E2<:?8 96C FA @? E96 DF886DE:@?[ r@=G:? DE2CE65 8@:?8 E@ 4@F?4:= >66E:?8D 2?5 C625:?8 E96 92?53@@<] qJ a_`e[ D96 564:565 >2J36 :E H2D E:>6 E@ CF?] p7E6C 2 CF?@77 6=64E:@?[ r@=G:? 3642>6 E96 4@F?4:= >6>36C 7@C s:DEC:4E %H@] k^Am
kAm(9:=6 D6CG:?8 @? E96 4@F?4:=[ r@=G:? H@C<65 2D 2 C6DA:C2E@CJ E96C2A:DE 2E #FDD6== |65:42= r6?E6C 7@C b` J62CD 367@C6 C6E:C:?8 :? a_aa] r@=G:? 2=D@ 92D 366? :?G@=G65 H:E9 $EF56?ED (:E9 p v@2= W$(pvX AC@8C2>[ E96 4@>>F?:EJ |2CE:? {FE96C z:?8 yC] 46=63C2E:@?D 2?5 &?:E65 (2J] k^Am
kAmp7E6C 96C C6E:C6>6?E[ D96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ FD6 E96 E:>6 E@ E2<6 2 3C62E96C 2?5 E2<6 42C6 @7 96C >@>[ 3FE 2?@E96C @AA@CEF?:EJ :? =:76 42>6 <?@4<:?8 2E E96 5@@C] k^Am
kAm“sC] Wq6G6C=JX !C:46 D2:5 ‘*@F <?@H[ E96C6VD 2 WA2C2AC@76DD:@?2=X ;@3 2E $E6A96?D Wt=6>6?E2CJ $49@@=X[” r@=G:? D2:5] “x =:G6 C:89E :? 7C@?E @7 $E6A96?D] $96 D2:5[ ‘xE H@F=5 36 8C62E 7@C J@F] xEVD D6=7\4@?E2:?65] *@F 42? ;FDE H2=< E@ H@C< 6G6CJ 52J]’ p?5 x H2D =:<6[ ‘(6== x 5@?VE E9:?< xV> 2 E62496C 2?5 x 5@?VE <?@H :7 E92EVD >J =:76]’ WsC] !C:46 D2:5[X ‘(6==[ :E’D 2G2:=23=6 ;FDE E9:?< 23@FE :E]’”k^Am
kAmr@=G:? 5:5?’E 92G6 >F49 E:>6 E@ E9:?< 23@FE :E 367@C6 8@:?8 E9C@F89 E96 2AA=:42E:@? AC@46DD @?6 ?F586 2E 2 E:>6] $96 D2:5 E96 2DD:DE2?E AC:?4:A2= D6?E 96C 2 >6DD286 23@FE 7:==:?8 @FE 2? 65F42E@CVD 2AA=:42E:@? 7@C E96 DE2E6] r@=G:? 7:==65 E92E @FE E96? D96 H2D 86EE:?8 42==D E@ 5@ 2 DE2?52C5 7:?86CAC:?E 4964<] q67@C6 D96 <?6H :E[ D96 8@E 2 42== @? 2 uC:52J E6==:?8 96C E@ 36 C625J 7@C H@C< |@?52J]k^Am
kAm“xEVD 24EF2==J 366? 2? 2H6D@>6 ;@3] x C62==J 5@ =@G6 :E[” r@=G:? D2:5] “%96 <:5D 2C6 DA@:=65 3642FD6 x =@G6 DA@:=:?8 49:=5C6?j x’> ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ E6== J@F] x FDF2==J H2=< 2C@F?5 H:E9 2 A@4<6E 7F== @7 42?5J] x 8@E p:C9625D :? >J A@4<6E E@52J[ =67E@G6C]”k^Am
kAm k^Am
k9c 5:ClQ=ECQmr@F?4:= AC6D:56?Ek^9cm
kAmx? a_a_[ r@=G:? 3642>6 E96 7:CDE p7C:42? p>6C:42? 2?5 76>2=6 4@F?4:= >6>36C E@ 36 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2=6I4:EJ@FE=@@<]4@>^?6HD^9:DE@C:4\4@=G:?\7:CDE\H@>2?\3=24<\A6CD@?\E@\36\6=64E65\2=6I2?56C\4:EJ\4@F?4:=\AC6D:56?E^2CE:4=60dc4667d_\`636\``63\2`3`\e7b3b272`f74]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm6=64E65 4@F?4:= AC6D:56?Ek^2m :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ] k^Am
kAmr@=G:? D2:5 96C A9:=@D@A9J H96? D6CG:?8 2D 4@F?4:= AC6D:56?E :D 2== 4@F?4:= >6>36CD 2C6 C62==J 4@F?4:= AC6D:56?ED] $96 D2:5 2D:56 7C@> CF??:?8 E96 >66E:?8[ D96 5@6D ?@E 9@=5 >@C6 A@H6C E92? 2?@E96C 4@F?4:= >6>36C] k^Am
kAm“(96? xV> @FE 2?5 23@FE x E6== 6G6CJ3@5J xV> ;FDE 2 C68F=2C 4:E:K6?[” r@=G:? D2:5] “xV> ?@3@5J F?E:= H6 D:E :? 7C@?E @7 E92E 56D< 2?5 H6VC6 2== D:EE:?8 E96C6 E@ >2<6 @FC G@E6D] %92EVD E96 @?=J E:>6 H6 92G6 A@H6C :D H96? H6 2C6 :? 2 8C@FA[ 2?5 H6 2C6 4@?5F4E:?8 3FD:?6DD]”k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 492==6?8:?8 A2CED @7 36:?8 2 4@F?4:= >6>36C[ 6DA64:2==J 4@F?4:= AC6D:56?E[ :D E96 ?665 E@ 46?D@C J@FCD6=7] r@=G:? D2:5 D96 5@6D DE:== DA62< 96C >:?5[ 3FE D96 2=D@ :D DA62<:?8 7@C 2 H9@=6 5:DEC:4E 2?5[ H:E9 E92E[ :E’D 23@FE 7:?5:?8 E96 C:89E E:>6 2?5 A=246] k^Am
kAmr@=G:? D2:5 H@C<:?8 H:E9 <:5D 6G6CJ 52J C6>:?5D 96C @7 E9:D >@C6] $96 6IA=2:?65 H96? D96 8@6D E@ D49@@= E96 ?6IE 52J[ :7 D96 :D?’E @? 96C 36DE 3692G:@C 5FC:?8 2 4@F?4:= >66E:?8[ 96C DEF56?ED H:== 86E @? E@ 96C] k^Am
kAmr@=G:? D2:5 D@ >F49 @7 D6CG:?8 @? E96 4@F?4:= :D 23@FE =625:?8 p=6I2?56C r:EJ E@ 2 8C62E6C 7FEFC6] k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2== E96D6 3C:89E <:5D E92E 8@ E9C@F89 q6?;2>:? #FDD6==[” D96 D2:5] “%96J 86E E96:C 65F42E:@?] %96J 8@ @?[ 2?5 >2J36 E96J 86E 2 EH@\J62C 568C66[ @C >2J36 E96J 86E 2 7@FC\J62C 568C66[ @C >2J36 E96J 8@ 29625 2?5 8@ :?E@ E96 H@C<7@C46] qFE E96J H2?E E@ =62G6 p=6I r:EJ] %96J 5@?VE H2?E E@ 4@>6 324< 9@>6] (6 C62==J ?665 E@ DE2CE >2<:?8 DFC6 H6 92G6 2 AFD9 7@C E9@D6 <:5D E@ 4@>6 324< 9@>6]”k^Am
kAm%2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ r@>>:DD:@?6C %]r] r@=6J D2:5 96 92D <?@H? r@=G:? D:?46 E96 EH@ H6?E E@ D49@@= E@86E96C 2E q#w$] r@=6J D2:5 :7 E96C6’D @?6 E9:?8 96 <?@HD 23@FE r@=G:? :D 96C 23:=:EJ E@ 3C:?8 A6@A=6 E@86E96C]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 D2J[ ‘~9[ E92E’D ;FDE qF77J — =2:5\324<[ 2AAC@24923=6[ 7F?\=@G:?8[ 92AAJ\8@\=F4<J[ 8@@5[ 8@@5 8@@5 A6CD@?’ 2?5 E92E <:?5 @7 E9:?8[” r@=6J D2:5] “qFE E96C6VD 2 G6CJ E9@F89E7F=[ G6CJ 56=:36C2E6[ G6CJ :?E6==:86?E[ G6CJ C2E:@?2=\>:?565 H@>2? E96C6 — E92EVD AC@46DD:?8 2== E96 E9:?8D[ =@@<:?8 2E >F=E:A=6 D:56D E@ 2 D:EF2E:@?]”k^Am
kAmpD 2 AF3=:4 D6CG2?E 9:>D6=7[ r@=6J D2:5 96 25>:C6D 9@H r@=G:? =625D E96 4@F?4:= E9C@F89 492==6?8:?8 4:C4F>DE2?46D 2?5 F?56CDE2?5D E96 A6CD@?2= D24C:7:46 D96 >2<6D E@ ?2G:82E6 E92E] k^Am
kAm(:E9 |2C49 36:?8 (@>6?’D w:DE@CJ |@?E9[ r@=G:? D2:5 D96 H2?ED E@ =625 :? 2 H2J E96 ?6IE 86?6C2E:@? 42? C@=6 >@56=[ =:<6 D96 925 :? 96C =:76] $:?46 96C 72E96C 5:65 H96? D96 H2D ?:?6[ 96C >@E96C[ 3@E9 96C 8C2?5>@E96CD 2?5 2== 96C 2F?ED H@C<65 E@86E96C E@ AC@G:56 r@=G:? H:E9 E96 =:76 D96 =:G6D ?@H] k^Am
kAm“W|J >@>X H2D 8@??2 3C62< 96C 324< E@ >2<6 DFC6 x H2D 8@??2 8@ E@ 4@==686[” r@=G:? D2:5] “$96 5:5 6G6CJE9:?8 D96 4@F=5] ‘@9[ J@FVC6 8@??2 8@ E@ 4@==686[ J@FVC6 8@??2 36 2 DF446DD]’ %92E DEC@?8 H:== E92E 4@>6D 7C@> H@>6? :D D@ :>A@CE2?E — ?@E @?=J ?@H 7@C J@F 2?5 x] xEVD :>A@CE2?E 7@C >6 E@ 5@ :E D@ E92E 2== JV2== J@F?8 A6@A=6 <?@H E92E JV2== 42? 5@ :E]”k^Am